Joram
Joram is the soul judger. When a mortal dies, he first is sent to the courts of Joram. His soul is judged, and then sent to the proper plane according to his actions is life. While Joram is worshiped in rituals of birth and death, he also is the supreme judge. He is the keeper of law and order and often his temples serve as court houses. History "Mortality gripped the souls of those who had once lived eternally. The souls of the dead journeyed the afterlife lost and alone, for there was no path to guide them to their rest. Joram saw the lost and wept, for he loved all lives. He sought the Lord of Rage and Murder to help him with his quest. He took his hammer and his lantern in each hand and stood at the top of the Arock Cliffs, the holiest of places and spoke unto the Murderous God. 'Here it is that I shall fall, I consume myself so that life may continue. I wrap myself with my maw to show the path of the cycle of rebirth. There is no justice in the lost. There is no righteous path for those without a guide. I go now so that all those after me may find the way to judgement and be delivered upon the banks of their fate. With the words fresh from his lips, Garm tore him asunder and clasped source of all truth in his grip and cast his soul into the depths of the dead where he came to the sea. With his lantern he saw through the darkness that consumed the lost dead and forged a path with the light. He walked for six days and at each turn he lit a new lantern, leaving the last behind to keep the path lit.... ...On the final day he found himself at the top of the greatest mountain where the River of Souls began and he laid down his final lantern. 'It is upon this place that the souls of the lost shall be judged and sent to their rightful place within this here-after. They shall follow the path I have given them and I shall send them on their next journey, to life again, or to their rest. And so it shall be in the accordance with the Law." - ''The Cycle of Law Home While technically Joram's plane rests within Decretum, it is the only Outer Plane that touches the Ethereal. There are many names for his plane, the Court of Souls, Souls' Rest, and the River's End are among them. Joram will typically refer to it simply as The Court. This is where souls go after they die. It is where the River of Souls meets the Outer Planes. It is thought that the river did not enter the Outer Planes until Joram built The Court and allowed mortals to travel there. Relationships Relationships with other deities. Appearance and Emissaries Like many of the most popular deities, Joram's effigy depends on the culture. He is usually an old frail man wearing long purple robes, with a hole in his chest that is either vacant or glows red. Servants *'Ruoshal''' - This large outsider can usually be found assisting Joram in the Court of Souls. He acts as the bailiff within the court. When he is not in the court he will help process and guide souls who are coming and going through Joram's realm. He also acts as leader of the constables. *Judicators - Among the hierarchy, the Judicators are the strongest and most respected outsiders within Joram's realm. In Joram's absence, they can act as judges of souls and setence them to whichever plane they will spend eternity in. *Constables - By far the most numerous outsider within Joram's realm, the constables are charged with the protection the plane and its laws. *Gardeners - The lowest level of the hierarchy within the Court, these outsiders are the caretakers of the realm. They represent new life, birth, and death within the plane. They grow the gardens and tend to the vegetation. They're also unique in that they will die each season in their gardens, providing their body to the soil in order to allow the plants to grow and create new gardeners to care for them again. The souls of the gardeners are eternal, as they are rebirthed from the flowers that they die in. *'Inevitables' - While the Inevitables do not serve him directly, he was the one who helped write their code and the laws that govern them. They serve his purpose, even if they don't answer to him directly. *'Psychopomps' - While these creatures do not serve Joram directly, they do serve the natural cycle of life and death, guiding souls from the mortal realm to the after life. Church of Joram The church of Joram doubles as caretakers to the newly arrived or recently departed mortals as well as judges and experts of the law. Worshipers and Clergy Worshipers of Joram come in all varieties. He is a very popular god, as he protects the living and assists in their passing. The clergy tend to both births and deaths. When a child is born they perform a naming ritual to give the child its name. When a mortal dies they are there to perform burial rights. The clegry also act as judges in many civilizations, as well as law enforcement, and sometimes even jury and executioner. In most cultures these positions are held by separate individuals, but in some places, especially smaller settlements, a priest of Joram may take on multiple roles. While it is not required to wear the uniform of a priest at all times, while performing their sacred duties all priests and priestesses of Joram must wear Joramic robes, which are always blue and purple and have the holy symbol over the heart of the clergy. Temples and Shrines Temples of Joram hold many purposes. Temples are court houses where judgement on those who commit crimes takes place. They are not normally prisons, as it is typically the nation who runs the prison. They also house births and midwives to usher in new generations. Most temples have clean rooms dedicated to births. Occasionally, these rooms also have shrines dedicated to Taija, the mother, to assist with birth. Unique to Joram's temple, is the mortuaries that are used in ritualistic burial of the dead. Which ritual in use depends on the culture of the surrounding area. There is no one right way to bury the dead, according to Joram, but the way that is done by the culture will be done perfectly within his temples. Paladin's Code *I am the keeper of the law. The laws of nature are superior to the laws of man. *I will uphold the laws of man when they are logical. The laws of chaos are the laws of madness. They are illogical and shall be purged. *I will respect both life and death, for in it I find peace. The cycle is the truth of the universe. *I will smite all undead. The immortal body is an a front to the cycle and shall not be abided. Mortals who have escaped into immortality shall be shown the path back to mortality. Only the soul is eternal. *I will not suffer an aberration to live. They are unnatural creatures and do not have a place in the law of all. *I will, when required, provide myself to the courts of man and gods. My place is to help provide judgement on those deserving. *I will be joyful. Life is a precious gift and I will do all I can to enjoy my time in the world of mortals while also helping others enjoy theirs. *I will not murder, for it is the greatest of crimes. Life is precious and to end one prematurely is to break the natural cycle. The murderer shall be judged and punished for his crimes. *I will fight the enemies of order. Creatures of chaos are the enemy of law. I will either show them the truth or that will be punished for their crimes. Holy Texts The Cycle of Law - This book contains the story of Joram and his teachings which include the laws that shall be followed by all. It also provides rituals that should be performed upon birth and death of a being in order to be properly guided through life and their rightful afterlife. Holy Relics *'Ring of Life '- These metallic rings are a symbol of the cycle of birth and death. Twelve such rings exist. They are said to hold the power over life and death and can keep someone alive as long as Joram wills it. *'Guide Light' - These lanterns can be found along the River of Souls. They attract souls. If brought back to the land of the living, it is thought it could guide the dead back to their bodies and return them to life. Magic Items Any magic item that is typically associated with the church. These items are almost always available at a temple of the deity. Character Options Classes *The Keeper *Mortal Usher Traits *'Law of the Land': You have studied laws of many regions and are extremely familiar with those who run them. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (Local) and Knowledge (Nobility) and both are always class skills. *'Bane of Chaos:' You have studied the driving force behind chaos and seek to stamp it out where ever you go. You gain a +1 trait bonus to damage versus chaotic outsiders. Deific Obedience You may perform this ritual at dawn or at dusk. Kneel facing the rising or setting sun and place a lit lantern in front of you. Give praise to Joram and bow to the lantern. Do this twelve times. This should take roughly 10 minutes. Once complete, you gain a +2 sacred or profane bonus, depending on when the ritual is performed, sacred for dawn and profane for dusk, to Heal checks. If performed at dawn you gain a +4 sacred bonus to saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and special abilities of chaotic creatures. If performed at dusk you gain a +2 profane damage bonus versus chaotic creatures. #'Light of Law (''Sp):' ''dancing lantern ''3/day, ''align weapon ''(lawful only) 2/day, ''magic circle against chaos 1/day #'Diplomatic Immunity (Ex):' While within the bounds of a city of more than 5,000 inhabitants, you gain a +4 sacred or profane bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. You also gain special status with the law. You’re considered a person to be respected, and may obtain special treatment and assistance that ordinary citizens could not, such as information on political activity, criminal investigations, or threats against the city. Any bribes or fees that would normally be levied by the legal system are waived for you. City guards and officials with an initial starting attitude of unfriendly or hostile instead have an attitude of indifferent toward you. These benefits apply only when you identify yourself as an exalted of Joram or otherwise display your Joramic symbol. #'Dictum Blow (Su):' Once per day, you can channel the effects of dictum through your weapon, though you don’t need to cast (or even know) the spell. You must declare your use of this ability before rolling your attack. On a hit, the target is affected as if caught in the area of dictum as cast by a cleric of a level equal to your Hit Dice. If the target is lawful or its Hit Dice exceeds yours, it is unaffected. If your attack misses or the creature is unaffected, the dictum effect is wasted. Category:Religion Category:Gods Category:Law Domain Category:Healing Domain Category:Repose Domain Category:Lawful Neutral Deity